Device for producing electric current in a rapidly rotating device



. 2,825,283 RIC CURRENT 512EVICE INVENTOR Sicfn H Sahelman ,dMpl

.FLTTURNEYE BELMAN DUCING ELECT 's. so DEVICE FOR PRO IN A RAPIDLY ROTATING Filed Dec. l4, l9

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DEVICE FOR PRODUCING ELECTRIC CURRENT r A .R P LY T T E IC Sidney Sobelrnan, Morris-Plains, N. J.

Application December 14, 1954, Serial No. 475,323

Claims. (Cl. 102-702) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952),'sec.- 266) nisms incorporating a device for producing ;electric current by inertia-induced rotation of a magnet-containing rotor between poles of a field coil whereby delayed armingrneans are provided for the fuze mechanism and/or selective time action can be provided after proper setting of a variable resistance integral with a time ring or by a prefixed resistance so that the explosive charge will. be

detonated at the time and place desired afterr a safe,

delayed arming period.

The principal object of the. present invention is toprovide an explosive projectile of a simple, compact, .elfigfient, andreliable character whereby the delay arming period is obtained by a combination of inertiaandjelectrical means. Inyaccornplishing this result advantage is taken. of thedifference between the angular deceleration, rates. of aprojectile body spinning jin air and arotor within.

the casing spinning on bearings within a field structure to cause relative rotation therebetween to thereby generate electricalenergy to explode a detonator- It is also an object of the invention to providean improved fuse mechanism of the above described character.

that may berelied upon to initiate detonation without re-V. gard to target impact, that is, upon tim e action after In accordance with the invention a ,fu ze is provided, for causing detonation of a missile including an explosiye charge and comprising an electric .detqnatoryaj-fuse train for coupling the detonator to the explosivechargehthereby... to cause explosionthereof, and a magneto responsiyeto' States Patent O missiles and more particularlyto selective fuze mechamissile spin to generate I electrical energy- ,to, initiate; the

detonator after a predetermined time, or to charge au capacitor for firing the detonator upon the ,plosing. pf a.

switch.

For a better understanding of the present invention together with other and further objects thereof reference is made to the following description taken in connection withathe accompanying. .drawingsinzwvhich:

Figure 1 gis a longitudinal eleyationtin section show-n a y el uze construction.

Figure 2 is a view -taken. -on,lines;-2 .2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

With reference to Figure 1 0f thedrawings there is disclosed a fuze in accordance with the present invention installed in a projectile 10 designed to be fired from a rifle. A casing 11 adapted to contain the component parts of the fuze is threadedly received in the forward part of the projectile and has a cup member 12 threaded thereto, substantially as shown, and intruding in the explosive charge 13. A booster charge 14 is received within the cup member in the usual manner and a firing train is provided comprising an explosive capsule or lead 15 and an. electrically .responsiverdetonator ,16. A plug. member 18. is slidably received in a ,bore formed in the. casingrll and a -spring,19 urges between cap 20and plug ,l8,.to normally hold the samein the position shown. Thelelec: tricallyjresponsivedetonator-.16,is held in a.,cavity 11;- formedin the plug member; and, in theillustratedposi tion, the firing train is broken, so that the. fuze is .in.-a safe condition. A spring clip 21 is affixed to one endat.:-v

the detonator and is positioned to cooperate .with spring clip 22 and connected by lead 40 to theoutpnt of the magneto, as will now be more-fully explained.

Themagneto comprises aframe .23, as best.seen,in;- Figure ,2, secured to casing ,11 byr-bolts 24 andisupport -r ing wire wound poles 25 ,cquiangularly spaced. A, sphericaLrotor 26 ,is supported forrotation bybearings, 27 at the center of the frame. A magnet 28ris received in the rotor and when the rotor spins at high speedthe lines ,of force from themagnet will pass through the pole pieces in turn and be cut, whereby, a voltage will 1 be.;generated;in. the field coils. The coilsqaretinterconnected and one end thereof is connected (not shown) to -the casing 11 as a ground return. The other. end is; connected to the before-mentioned lead 40 which is joined to spring clip 22 mounted on an insulating washer,

substantially as shown.

A shaft member 29 having anenlarged head 30 is slidable in a cavity formed inthe casing. A spring 31 urges, between a cavity sealingplug 32 andthe enlarged headv to keep the end of the shaft member in engagement with the-rotor and thereby normally hold the same against rotatiom A pin member 33 carrying a disc 34 is slidably retained. in a p'ort 35, and Spring .36 urgesv between port sealing; plug}? and disc 34 to keeptheendofthe pin member; in engag ement witha groove 38 formed in the enlarged;

head of the shaft member 29,;

The operation of my-noyel fuze is as, follows:. When:

the projectile is dischargedfrom a gun, set back causespin member- 33 to move rearwardly against spring 36 and thereby disengage from groove 38 -;-in shaft; member-29. Passage of the projectile through .the bore of thegun imparts a-rapid spin thereto and-the centrifugal force resultin therefrom forces plugmember 18 outward 1 against'spring 19 to thereby align v,detonator 16 wtihzt capsule lsand cause contacts,21 'and,22 to engage. A4. spring biased detent of usual form -(not shown) maybe. provided to retain the plug member 18 :in-its retractedr position if ,projectile spin decays and 1 the;.centrifugal force-falls to a value below ;that. necessaryto overcome spring,19 before the charge :is fired.

'Projectile spin will alsovcause shaft 29 to move outwardly against spring 31 to release rotor 26 but in the Y interval befOlQpSUCh .release therotor .isconstrained to rotate at the same angular; velocity as the projectile After- ;set baclg ceases ,pinmembers33 moves forward '1 togengage under the enlarged head portion ofshaft/'29. to .there by prevent the :same, from again engaging the rotor.

As preyiously mentioned, the, spherical-rotor is rotating 3 at the same angular; -v'elocityas-tthe-s p-rojecti'le..- The. projectile spins, forward flLhigh ;Speed,:rand after an -inter;

ZQQfi QiIQ QI 26;.is zsnot-texposegllrtozthe same resis-tanceta.

Paitented Mar. 4, 1958 ments, such as shunt capacitors, rectifiers, and resistors, may be added to balance out the electrical system and maintain sensitivity of the detonator. 7

It will be seen from the above that the fuze will explode after a time delay without target impact, which is especially important in anti aircraft duty. It is obvious that an impact responsive explosive train of any known type may be included in the organization whereby a projectile results that will explode either on target engagement or, if no target be encountered, then by lapse of time.

While there has been described what at present is considered to be the preferredembodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and it is therefore intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim':

1. A fuze for causing detonation of a rotatable missile of the type that includes an explosive charge, comprising a casing; a booster charge in said casing; an explosive capsule in said casing in communication'with and adapted to explode said booster charge; a detonator in said casing and responsive to the passage of electrical energy therethrough to detonate said explosive capsule, said detonator normally resting in a safe position misaligned with said explosive capsule; means responsive to rotation of said missile to move said detonator from a safe position misaligned with said explosive capsule to a ready position aligned with said explosive capsule; a magneto responsive to decay of projectile spin to generate electrical energy to explode said detonator, said magneto comprising a field coil fixed to said casing and a spherical armature having a permanent magnet mounted in'said casing for rotation therein; means electrically connecting said magneto with said detonator when said detonator is in the ready position; a shaft normally engaging said armature; and a pin normally engaging said shaft and responsive to missile set back to disengage from said shaft whereby said shaft releases said armature to permit the same to rotate.

'2. A fuze for causing detonation of a rotatable missile of the type that includes an explosive charge, comprising a casing; a booster charge in said casing; a detonator in said casing and responsive to the passage of electrical energy therethrough to explode said booster charge; means responsive to rotation of said missile to move the said detonator from a safe to a ready position, said means comprising a generally transversely reciprocable spring biased plug carrying said detonator; a magneto responsive to decay of projectile spin to generate electrical energy to explode said detonator, said magneto comprising a field coil fixed to said casing and an armature mounted in said casing for rotation therein; a shaft normally engaging said armature; and a pin normally urged into engagement with said shaft and responsive to missile setback to disengage from said shaft whereby said shaft releases said armature to permit the same to rotate.

3. A fuze for causing detonation of a rotatable missile of the type that includes an explosive charge, comprising a casing;'a booster charge and a core insaid casing; a detonator in said core and responsive to the passage of electrical energy therethrough to explode said booster charge; a generally transverse bore in said core;

an axial bore in said core, one end of which communicates with said transverse bore intermediate its ends and the other end of which communicates with said booster charge; a plug reciprocable within said transverse bore and responsive to the rotation of said missile, said plug housing said detonator; spring means within said transverse bore normally biasing said plug in the safe position with said detonator in misalignment with said axial bore; additional means comprising a dynamo-electric machine responsive to the rotation of said missile to generate electrical energy in response to decay of missile spin to explode said detonator; and means adapted to complete the electrical circuit including said dynamo and said detonator when said detonator moves into alignment with said axial bore.

4. The fuze in accordance with claim 3 wherein said electric generating means comprises an armature and a plurality of field coils, there being means adapted to releasably lock said armature to said casing during missile setback, said means comprising a recess in said armature, a transverse cavity in said core containing a spring biased shaft responsive to the rotation of said missile, said shaft having a point at one end adapted to engage said recess in said armature and an enlarged head at the other end having an annular groove, an axial recess provided in said core containing a pin, said pin being normally biased forwardly to engage said groove in said shaft to maintain said shaft engaged with said armature, said pin being set back responsive and adapted upon setback to move rearwardly to disengage from said shaft and permit said shaft to release said armature in response to missile rotation, said pin adapted upon abatement of missile setback to reengage said shaft to maintain said shaft thereafter disengaged from said armature.

5. YA fuze for causing detonation of a rotatable missile of the type that includes an explosive charge, comprising a casing; a booster charge in said casing; a detonator in said casing initiated in response to the passage of a predetermined amount of electrical energy therethrough, means responsive to rotation of said missile to move the said detonator from a safe to a ready position in alignment with said booster, said means comprising a generally transversely reciprocable spring biased plug carrying said detonator; a magneto for generating electrical energy to explode said detonator in response to decay of projectile spin, said magneto comprising a field coil fixed to said casing and an armature mounted in said casing for rotation relative to said field coil, said magneto gengerating said predetermined amount of electrical energy when decay of projectile spin has produced a predetermined' relative rotation between said armature and field coil; a shaft normally engaging said armature; and a pin normally urged into engagement with said shaft and responsive to missile setback to disengage from said shaft whereby said shaft releases said armature to permit the same to rotate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,933,608 Teitscheid Nov. 7, 1933 2,520,949 Meister Sept. 5, 1950 2,688,921 Meister Sept. 14, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS I r 6,757 Great Britain of 1912 

